I've had H16 for about six years, and just tool around off the beach most of the time. I was in a race, as crew, a couple of years ago. Next week I'll be skippering in the same race. I'm just wondering if there are five most essential things to do to have the H16 race ready. It's old (1984 Olympic edition) but I've replaced parts along the way. I've never known how much tension to have on the shrouds, the forestay, the jib halyard to get the boat just right. Do people do any extra touches like waxing the hulls or anything?

You didn't say anything in your post that will make you any noticeably 'faster'.... (other than not having a full grasp on rig/ jig halyard tension) So sure spend 12 hours polishing and waxing the boat... Perfectly done it will net you a boat length or two (maybe) on the course over something in acceptable condition...

You are going to be that late to the starting line.... and lose twenty times that when you blow a single tack...

If the boat is serviceable spend your time working on the nut on the end of the tiller....

Although boat tuning like the jib halyard tension is more important.. IMO you need to understand completely as possible why it is important and then setting it properly is easier.. and makes more sense. There isn't going to be any universally accurate optimal setting for any given conditions.. Just some basic guidelines....

But most of all just enjoy the boat... Make having fun your priority. If you are stressed about losing a position... Or even bringing up the rear of the fleet.... It is just going to keep slowing you down as you desperately try and find some magic string to pull to make the boat go faster... Just focus on the basics... and smile!!! A big fat grin on your face always makes the boat go faster.. Even in the back of the fleet!

You might want to go to http://www.sailx.com/. It's an on-line game that focuses on the rules. Races are held all day long, and last about 5 to 10 minutes each. You'll be racing against some Olympic class sailors and some people who've never been on a sailboat. But you'll learn port/starboard, windward/leeward, and get some idea of how to get around a mark.

Only major things you can do to fix the boat to make it go faster are make sure your blocks and lines all move freely... your trap lines are clear, and the only real tunable things beyond that will give you real speed, is to make sure your rudders are straight and parallel to each other. As stated all over this forum, the nut on the tiller is the major factor. I raced my 18 a few months back with some incomplete fiberglass/gelcoat repairs. The hulls were literally like sand paper and we still beat out the other boats. Read up on whatever cat sailing books/ pages you can. Talk to the guys you're sailing with. Various factors contribute to speed, but it's hard to know what you need to do until you've seen the factors in action, look at the 16 that's pulling away from you, are you on the same line? Trimmed the same? Weight in the same place? Etc...

Here's the point that I'm arriving at personally and I'm just starting to accept...

The truth about rigging your boat is this: It's a personal thing. You should understand the correlation of all the adjustments you can make while rigging to your sail shape. It's critical that you understand what a good sail shape is. Next, your boat should be 'race ready' regardless of age. By that I mean having the little things taken care of, like a nice tight trampoline, making sure your rudders are toed and raked correctly. Make sure your hulls are parallel and that all the rivets are good and not corroded and that your equipment is in good condition. Breakages on the race course are the slowest thing of all! Then you should understand yourself - do you tend to foot or pinch?

Once your armed with this knowledge, rig your boat for what feels fastest and best to you. And the only way you will know is time on the water and not being afraid to experiment. Just because some people like to sail with a lot of rig tension, doesn't mean that it works for everyone. Some people prefer a really loose rig. Take all the advise and tips you can get, but use it to find your own recipe for a fast boat.

And again the biggest key is time on the water. And preferably sailing with other boats to use as a yard stick.

Adjusting the tension on you sail battens is the most important part of tuning! Make sure you adjust the tension depending on the weather conditions expected on that day. Apart from tension, make sure you have removed the play from your rudder (if any).